Reasons Why
by Herbie
Summary: "Pick a list," was all she said. Not knowing what was going on, he pointed to the list closest to himself.


~ Reasons Why ~  
  
"Ron!"  
  
The boy in question snapped his head up. "What?" He shouted back to his long time crush, Hermione Granger.  
  
"I need to talk to you. Now."  
  
Then she turned and headed back to her room. Ron looked at his best friend, Harry, who just shrugged, then followed Hermione. When he got there, Ron saw her sitting on the couch in her small common room. Two pieces of parchment sat on the table in front of her, face down. Ron walked around the small table, and sat next to Hermione.  
  
"So what'd you want to talk about?"  
  
"Pick a list," was all she said. Not knowing what was going on, he pointed to the list closest to himself.  
  
She picked it up, and swallowed. "Before I start reading, I want you to promise me that you won't leave until I've read both lists."  
  
With a slight sense of foreboding, he promised.  
  
"Good." Then she began to read.  
  
"Things about Ron Weasley That I hate. 1. He never does his homework. 2. He has absolutely no respect for his professors. 3. He can't seem to keep himself out of trouble. 4. He always talks about the Chuddley Cannons, and Quidditch in general. 4. He always yells when he's upset, rather than talking about it calmly or using his rage creatively. 5. He eats too much."  
  
There was no other way to describe his mood than 'pissed off.' The girl he loved -yes, loved- didn't love him. And the things she thought about him! His heart was breaking, and so Ron retaliated the way he always did when he was hurt. He yelled.  
  
"I can't believe you could think all of this about me! One of your best friends! Or even worse, that you would tell me! I feel like I've been stabbed in the back. I expected better of you, Hermione."  
  
He stopped, unable to say what he really wanted to. Silence filled the room, an odd sound for a moment when Ron has just yelled at Hermione.  
  
Hermione calmly took the second piece of parchment into her hands. After another moment of silence, Ron spoke again.  
  
"I have no reason to keep a promise to a person who is not my friend." Then he began to rise and leave, but before he could, Hermione started reading the second list.  
  
"Reasons Why I Love Ron Anyway."  
  
Ron stopped cold. He turned back around, and sat down on the couch again. Hermione pretended not to notice, but continued to read.  
  
"1. He's always the first one to come to my defense. 2. He's funny. 3. When he volunteers to help, he's there until the end. 4. He's supportive of my decisions, unless they evolve another guy. 5. He doesn't like to see me hurt. 6. He's always willing to explain some new wizarding term to me. 7. No matter how many times I do it, Ron never bats an eye when I tell him to fix something. 8. He looks particularly adorable when he's apologizing for our most recent fight. 9. He always says just what I need to hear. 10. He has the cutest tendency to invite me over to visit just the Muggles are about to drive me mad."  
  
Ron looked up from his hands to a very red Hermione. After several minutes of silence, she began to speak again. It was apparent that she was trying very hard not to cry.  
  
"Ron, just pretend I never said anything. I don't want this to ruin our friendship. I was just sure.." Hermione trailed off, leaving her sentence unfinished.  
  
Again, the silence settled over the room. For a full ten minutes Ron and Hermione both agonized over the situation. Finally, Hermione stood up, silent tears running down her cheeks. "Well, good night Ron. I'll see you and Harry tomorrow."  
  
Hermione gracefully glided past Ron, at least until she felt his hand on her arm. Then, in one fluid motion, as if they had practiced for hours, Hermione turned and Ron stood up. She looked up at him, more tears forming, as if she thought he was torturing her with his eyes.  
  
So before he lost his courage, Ron kissed her. After only a moment, Hermione responded and the two each deepened the kiss. Slowly, Ron wrapped his arms around Hermione's waist, and Hermione put her hands at the nape of her neck. Before you could blink, all the space between them had been relocated.  
  
Finally, they pulled apart. Grinning madly, Hermione spoke. "I hate to be wrong," she murmured. "But I can live with it. *"  
  
Then they kissed again, and never once did they regret their decisions.  
  
~ El Fin ~  
  
*This line come from the novel "Enchantment," by Orson Scott Card which I highly recommend to anyone who likes to read different takes on fairy tales. The quote is on page 331 of the paperback version, and its actually said by Ivan, rather than a girl, but it was too perfect for the situation.  
  
I hope you guys liked that. I just had to write that one day, so I did! Amazing how that works.  
  
If you like H/G and R/H stories, go check out "Life's A Stage" by Foags  
  
If you like original fantasy stories, go check out mine (Hebi and the Sorcerer Tarm).please..  
  
~Herbie 


End file.
